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U.S. Supreme Court Strikes Down Miss. Abortion Law

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by Paul Boger on

A U-S Supreme Court decision is overturning a law that could have potentially closed Mississippi's last abortion clinic.

In 2012, lawmakers approved legislation requiring abortion providers in Mississippi to have admitting privileges at local hospitals. While the law was immediately put on hold by a federal judge in Jackson, if fully enacted, it would have likely stopped abortions outright across the state.

But, a five to three ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court struck down that law and others like it around the nation.

"Today is a great day for us; it really is," says Shannon Brewer, administrator at the Jackson Women's Health Organization, the state's last abortion clinic. "It has nothing to do with the safety of women and the healthcare of women. They've already said that they don't want an abortion clinic here. So the people who are trying to get these laws passed are people who have no concern for women."

According to the majority opinion of the Court, the regulations are medically unnecessary and unconstitutionally limit a woman's right to an abortion.

In statements, Republican leaders, like Governor Phil Bryant, Lieutenant Governor Tate Reeves and Speaker of the House Philip Gunn, call the decision disappointing and -- quote -- a major setback.

"It really does seem like to me that they are more concerned about making sure that we have access to abortions than the healthcare of that patient," says Republican Representative Sam Mims, Chair of the House Public Health Committee.

Since 2012, lawmakers have approved additional pieces of legislation outlawing certain abortion procedures as well as banning abortions after 20 weeks.